As Planned Parenthood faces legal challenges, Walla Walla woman shares her experience

For Walla Walla native Cia Cortinas Rood, Planned Parenthood not only supported her reproductive health but also empowered her to reclaim control of her body after a sexual assault. Today, however, the nation’s largest abortion provider is under federal scrutiny.

“For many of us living in rural areas, this (Planned Parenthood, 228 W. Birch St.) is a place for us to obtain our health care, for us to obtain just a sense of belonging, security and safety,” Cortinas Rood said.

Amid ongoing legal battles, Washington state has filled the funding gap to keep health centers operating despite the Trump administration’s effort to cut Medicaid reimbursements for a year. But other federal funds remain in limbo.

Emily Anderson, director of philanthropy at Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho said that without the state support, clinics would lose millions of dollars and be forced to draw down almost all of their reserves to stay open without federal money.

Patient experience

Cortinas Rood first visited the Walla Walla clinic when she was in high school in the early 2000s.

“It was through my local Planned Parenthood that we discovered that I have PCOS, and the symptoms that I was having — they were able to help explain and normalize,” she said.

Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a hormonal disorder that affects thousands of women of reproductive age in the United States each year.

Even when Cortinas Rood was between jobs and uninsured in 2017, the clinic continued supporting her in managing symptoms such as debilitating cramps and the growth of a malignant cyst. Planned Parenthood’s services were more affordable for her than those offered by hospitals and other health centers in the region.

“And on top of that, they were able to really help normalize my experience — growing up, we didn’t have a lot of open conversations around our reproductive organs,” she said.

In the early 2000s, Cortinas Rood was sexually assaulted by her then-boyfriend. When people dismissed the incident, saying it was not an assault because it was her boyfriend, Planned Parenthood helped her obtain an abortion.

“They view you as a whole person rather than just a box to check,” she said. “They help you walk through your options. I have never once felt pressured to make choices in the clinic rooms.”

Local impact

Anderson said that while Planned Parenthood is an abortion provider, it offers a comprehensive range of other services such as STI testing and treatment, birth control, breast exams and preventive care. It is also the only gender-affirming care provider in the city that serves everyone regardless of immigration status.

“We are frequently one of the only providers that many of our patients see at all,” she said.

In 2024, the Walla Walla clinic had more than 1,600 patient visits. Of these, 33% live below the federal poverty level.

The clinic is a part of Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho that operates 13 other centers. Combined, they had more than 56,000 patient visits last year. About 50% of their patients rely on publicly funded services like Title X and Medicaid. Title X is a federal grant program that helps provide family planning and reproductive health care services to people with low or no income.

During the first Trump administration, more than 400 Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide lost access to Title X funding — a decision later reversed under the Biden administration. But according to the health policy organization KFF, as of Tuesday, April 1, the Trump administration has been withholding Title X funds from 250 clinics across the country, including several Planned Parenthood centers.

Anderson said this time the impact on their Title X funding feels different “in a weird way,” compared with the last Trump administration when they were “immediately booted off.”

“The tap is being slowly turned off this time, instead of abruptly,” she said.

Legal challenges

A provision in the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act barred Medicaid reimbursements for one year to abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood, that received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023.

In July, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, on behalf of all its members, filed a lawsuit against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Later that month, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruled that Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide must continue to be reimbursed through Medicaid during the ongoing legal battle.

On Thursday, Sept. 11, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the Trump administration to block Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood.

“It’s a big loss, and it’s going to be widely felt,” Anderson said.

On Wednesday, July 9, Gov. Bob Ferguson announced $11 million in state funding to replace federal dollars cut from Planned Parenthood’s $22 million annual budget.

“We encourage everyone who has Medicaid to come see us,” Anderson said. “They’re still being served at our health centers.”

Even though Planned Parenthood clinics in Washington are safe at the moment, local leaders anticipate there is more to come from the Trump administration.

In theory, Anderson said, the clinic will start getting Medicaid reimbursement after a year.

“However, we do expect other fights to come down the line every year that Trump is in office,” she said.

In 2024, about $16.4 million of Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho’s funding came from federal and state dollars, including Medicaid reimbursements, which is roughly half of its budget.

According to a news release from Planned Parenthood Federation of America, more than 1.1 million patients nationwide will no longer be able to use Medicaid, putting 200 health centers at risk of closure.

As for Cortinas Rood, she remains involved with the Walla Walla clinic by advocating on its behalf, volunteering her time, and making annual financial contributions.

“If we were to hypothetically lose our Planned Parenthood, it would be devastating not only for the community members of Walla Walla but other rural community members who travel all the way here to seek support,” she said.